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rome Flashcards

1
Q

3 periods of rome

A
  1. etruscan 2000 BC
  2. the republic 43 BC
    -julius caesar
    -senators (no emperors) and 2 counsels
  3. the empire AD 37
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2
Q

roman social structure/hierarchy

social mobility

A

-no definable middle class
-born into social status, limited positions to vary
-reflected political power

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3
Q

main factors determining your place in roman society

A
  1. citizenship status
  2. place of birth
  3. level of wealth
  4. live in country/city
  5. free
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4
Q

6

hierachy top to bottom

A
  1. emperor
    -control political, military, eco, religious authority
  2. imperial family
  3. elite
    -patricians
    -senators
    -equestrian order (knights NOT hereditary)
  4. PLEBIANS (ingenui)
    -freeborn
    -Plebs Media (wealthier)
    -Plebs Humilus, poor)
    -freeborn citizens
  5. Liberti (freedmen = once slaves) (no women, lower social ranking)
    Wealthy freedmen
    Poorer Freedmen
    * NEVER allowed enter senatorial order
    -Gained manumission (freedom)
    -Sometimes granted by master, otherwise save payments and buy freedom
    -Once freed, often stayed connected with masters, patron + client relationship
  6. Servi (latin)
    Slaves, have own hierarchy
    -Some educated, some domestic, others employed to clean toilets, bathhouses, most humble slaves at mines & gally slaves (Ships, chained underneath deck and rowing constantly)
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5
Q

patron/client relationship
liberti, poorer freedmen

A

-slaves set free, never allowed to enter senatorial order
-even later gaining wealth, servile origin never forgotten
-Usually political/business relationships
-If freedmen set business, patron from elite could help set up w/ contacts, money, etc
-In return, freedman show loyalty and support for patron esp in political office
-Maintain relationship was reciprocal, benefits both parties
-sometimes freedmen became incredibly wealthy with their businesses, wealth threatened elite who had lot of money too, despised ‘new money’not not wealthy for generations
-Sometimes freedmen sons ran for political officers to elevate social ranking

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6
Q

senators

A

served emperor throughout empire
-gained wealth from large estates
-hereditary

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7
Q

upperstrata

A

emperor
imperial family
senators, equestrians, rich freedmen

1, 2,3

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8
Q

lower strata

A

-poor freedborn citizens (plebs)
-freedmen (liberti)
-slaves

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9
Q

plebs urbana & plebs rustica

A

city dwellers (better chances for employment, more access to public life and entertainment) and country dwellers

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10
Q

urban plebs (

A

despised, squalid living conditions, inferior food & clothes

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11
Q

‘bread and circuses’

A

lower classes greater in number than upper classes, emperors kept content by handing out food & public entertainment

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12
Q

slaves

A

exploited for wealth from agriculture & manufacture labour
-defeated in war, free citizens sold themselves to pay debt
-renamed
-wealthy romans used ownership as status symbol (diff to find avg no owned, evidence)
-3 slaves/less poverty

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13
Q

rights of slaves

A

-no right to marry/family/own property/acquire wealth
-some operated businesses but money never belonged to them

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14
Q

peculium

A

roman masters give slave ALLOWANCE (money, goods, land) to accumulate it and buy freedom
-master could withdraw any time

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15
Q

public slaves

A

owned by state
-clean sewers, public baths, roads

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16
Q

rural slaves

A

harder life than urban slaves
-farms, large estates, owned by individuals

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17
Q

treatment of slaves

A

-abused, punished, sold
-investment: had to be fed, clothed, housed
-owners didnt wanna damage property, lose value
-could be loved/brutality
-roman law, no rights, masters life/death but waste of investment

  • punish indiscriminately whipping, beating for small misdemeanours
    -serious: crucified, beasts circus, burnt alive

-emperor Claudius passed legislation to improve conditions & treatment

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18
Q

manumission (process), emancipation (manumissio)

A

freeing of slaves
-obtain freedom
1. master give permission to appear before lictor, declare slave free by touching with rod, slave wore cap: LIBERTY
2. buy freedom ‘nest egg’ peculium

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19
Q

paterfamilias

A

male head of roman family, whole household ‘father of HH’
-absolute authority
-earlier held life/death over family later limited

20
Q

3 diff powers of paterfamilias

A
  1. PATRIA POTESTAS
    -paterfamilias over children (parental authority)
  2. MANUS
    -power of fathers, brothers, husbands over women
  3. DOMINUS
    -authority over slaves
    ‘master/owner of slaves’
21
Q

domestic hearth

A

centre of roman HH where paterfamilias celebrate religious practices with family

worship
1. LARES
-HH deities for home
-own shrine (cupboard)
-dropped food offered
2. GENUIS
-god of male descent
-worshipped on bday of paterfamilias
3. PENATES
-gods of food store/larder
-statuetees on table at meals

everyone home had its own shrine/lararium for daily worship by whole fam

22
Q

education and paterfamilias

A

paterfamilias responsible + religious training of children
-only males possessed soul(ANIMUS)
-women, children, slaves dependend on husband, father, master for animus

23
Q

divorce

A

end of the Republic divorce epidemic proportions
-Augustus tried regularise procedure of divoce
-only need agreement of married couple to part, publicly announced w/ 7 witnesses & written + announced by freedman of HH

bc of this, wife could reclaim dowry after divorce, husbands scared to lose wife’s dowry and married financial only

24
Q

roman values

A

virtues taught within family extending to publi and political life
-romans honoured past acts of ancestors ‘MOS MAIORUM)

25
key virtues of roman values
**GRAVITAS** -responsibility even ***smallest affairs too great to be trifled with*** -nothing too much trouble **PIETAS** -sense of **duty to gods and parents** -**obedience** and parental authority **SIMPLICITAS -grounded**, see with **clarity** and **subjectively**
26
-education
**restricted to upper classes** -slaves, **most freeborn** **lil to none (handle coinage, unable to read/write)** -**Republican, mothers responsible** to educate children -**Imperial**, education handed to **nurses & slaves, learnt latin literature > greek** classics -arithmetic -**no formal** edu **system**, **taught by PAEDAGOGUS (literate slave) in HH** -**boys** educatred for ***public life 17yo*** when donned **TOGA VIRILIS** -**apartment buildings**, **no desks/boards**
27
teachers in rome
no formal training, paid poorly, long hours, occupation for freedmen/impoverished free men
28
patron-client relationship
**IMPERIAL** period, **emperor 'super' patron** as **families paid him homage** -upper strata patrons to lower in social order -responsibility for **client** to **support patron at political elections** and favours -in **return, patron assist client in legal matters/free mea**l -each **morning clients flock to patrons** house to pay respects **(SALUTATIO) to flatter & gain favour**
29
shops and markets
**political demads** took over **end of Republic, removed from Forum** and spread to **nearby streets & districts** -**specialised goods** near **river Tiber** -meat/cattle market Forum Boarium -**veg** market Forum **Holitorium** -**general** market **(Oil, wine, wheat) Velabrium** -**most shops ground floor** of building , **above living quarters** -goods **transported from country at night** shops ***open early morning***
30
Forum Romanum (fora as emperors added own forums)
Republic centre of roman life -public ceremonies, political, legal, commercial, relgiious activities -public speeches given from podium of temple of castor & pollux
31
housing
-some lavishly decorated public buildings -**residential areas cramped**, squalid **DOMUS (independent house**/estate) -**imperial family -owned by** members of **senatorial/equestrian class** **INSULAE -multi-storey apartments/tenements -majority** of pop -spacious/tiny **cubicle only sleep**
32
upper classes imperial period housing
**atriums and tablinums from republic not fashionable** anymore -**gardens, courtyards** main features + **mosaics, paintings on walls** -imperial bureaucracy **offices within palace** -**reflect profession, wealth, status** (spacious if bus conducted in home)
33
INSULAE/tabernae for POOR
surrounded by **narrow streets -wealthier lower** floors -**cramped, noisy, lack privacy** -**lack amenities (heating, lighting) -shared cooking facilities, latrines**
34
streets
**extensive** communication **system** of **roads** -**straight** roads, **narrow** -main streets accessible (shops, businesses for 1 industry) -crossraods at end -**little sunlight** penetrated to streets, **shaded by high public buildings and multi-storey insulae** -**raised footpaths to collect rainwater and rubbish**
35
water supply
originally **water from Tiber but growing** city exploit other sources -**aquaducts** brought **water from ivers into rome distributed through nymphaea** -**private supply needed emperor permission**
36
sanitation
**large channel underneath Forum** Romanum to **dispose waste** -**system** running **water through public latrines and channel to move**
37
health
**minor** problems modern life **threatening to ancient romans** -cause of disease **not understood, remedies primitive** -**doctors untrained** and for everyone, **risked lives for experiements and no penalty for killng** man -**magic charms, healing herbs, prayers for cures -no hospitals** -common '**swollong eyes, skin rashes, lost limbs'** -**high lead content** in **body, cooking pots** and **water thru lead pipes,** inadvertently poisoning themselves --> **infertility, high infant mortality**
38
death and burial customs
-**short life expectancy** -**few** lived **beyond 50** -showed **great PIETAS towards dead** -believied **spirits (manes) close links with lviing,** required **offerings for afterlife and haunt if adquate burial** didnt occur -dead went to **underworld (Hades)** -**deathbed on bare earth last breath kissed by relative** -**CONCLAMATIO loudly call dead's name to reawaken body**, no response --> CONCLAMATIO **beyond recall** -**wash corpse with warm water**, oil body, temporary embalming process, **dress clothes by rank** -body on **funeral couch in atrium feet point towards door, candles burned around with wreaths** -**time corpses displayed & funeral** depend on **social class** -**poor buried in pits w/ no ceremony** + children
39
public and private religion
**ritual, not faith/belief -no personal relation with gods** or offer **doctrine/explanation of world** -**polytheistic** worshipped many, **12 olympic gods** -believed **controlled spheres of nature** -**worship as offerings, sacrifices, festivals, games** -**divination (tell will of gods from omens)** major part -religion integral part of **MOS MAIORUM**
40
omens
bad/good -bird watching common, look at flight to find will of gods
41
priests
-**officials of state -imperial period** very involved in religious duties -**Flamines** for **major deities of roman state** -**conduct sacrifices, take auspices (read entrails), perform rituals, thank gods on behalf of imperial family** -**chief** priest **Pontifex Maximus**
42
ludi romani (games)
social, eco, political, relgiious functions -days devoited to theatrical shows, chariot races, animal hunts, parades
43
gods and goddesses
closely resembled **Greeks but renamed** **Imperial** times, custom to **worship emperors as gods (deification)** -believed watched every aspect of life but many **lost faith by 1st century BC** **jUPITER (Zeus)** god of thunder, king of all gods **Juno (hear)** wife, goddess of women & childbirth **Minerva (Athena)** goddess of wisdom
44
romans worshipping of the gods (polytheistic)
**constantine 'the great' legalised christianity via Edict of Milan**, before, it was **persecuted** -gods special responsibilities, **kept happy with sacrifices & ceremonies or bad luck** elected/voted for ***'king of sacrifices' REX SACRORUM*** who **worked under** HEAD PRIEST **'PONTIFEX MAXIMUS**' to organise all religious practices festivals **sacrificed** **animals -internal organs examined for omens from gods (entrails, auspices)** -natural events (thunder, lightning) priests to interpret Roman HH -**shrine for offerings(foodstuff, drinks, prayers) to gods to protect HH** -spirits of **ancestors** happiness in underworld **(flowers, food, wine) early morning & before evening main meal** interest in Egyptian gods (Isis)
45
christianity in rome
**monotheistic** god **challenged romans (condemned slaves, cruel sport in amphitheatres), stop worshipping emperor)** -ppl in Palestine **Jesus Christ eternal life, love in heaven son of God** -leaders of **jewish** religion **afraid to lose power, crucified christ** but crucifixion **convinced** christ was **god's son** -**prison, tortured** but offered **poor hope for better life after death** -ad 313 major religion of empire faded others until ad 392 only **Christianity and temples converted to churches**

ancient history (4 decks)

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